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jackNow, I feel *really* stupid.
When I bought my bike, I got a cheaper one (not second hand, at the low end of new road bikes) on the grounds that as I didn't know what I wanted it would do, and I could buy the right bike at some future point. This may have been a mistake. They didn't *say* it was crap when I bought it, but I've had a few problems.
Before christmas, something (I thought in the gears) was sticking a bit, and I took it for a first service, when they adjusted the brakes and a few other things, and I thought it was ok. But very soon, I thought it was again. It was just a bit, and I couldn't compare it, so I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, and the bike took me places, so I didn't investigate.
Yesterday, I thought it was getting worse, and then there was a big 'clonk' and wheel has physical resistance to going round. I left it at home, because I couldn't face sorting it out last night.
The gears are hub gears. I didn't even know what these were before. I don't know if it's possible for me to have been doing something that damaged them, or if they are amenable to maintanence.
And if I want to ask someone, I'm not sure where I should go. Before Cambridge Cycles assured me there wasn't a problem, which I now rather doubt, so I'm not sure to what extent to trust them on this. If I asked them to examine the gears and they just didn't, and then they failed, it would be reasonable for them to do it for free now. But I don't know how obvious the problem was. I assume a service includes spinning the wheel, but maybe not riding the bike round the parking lot to see if it goes well.
I guess they could replace the gears if I asked, but I'd still be equally ignorant. I don't know enough about it, I couldn't have said if the stickiness was just what that bike was naturally like after a few months and I should have known that, or easily fixable, or not.
I seem to be exceptionally bad with bikes. I don't think cars would be necessarily better. It always seems like:
Steve: Hey, Ed! You'll never believe it, a guy here wants to buy a bike! A bike!
Ed: What? I thought you said a *bike*!?
Steve: Yeah.
Ed: What? What have you (or he) been smoking?
Me: Um... why do you have a big sign saying "Bikes" outside?
Ed: Oh, I'm not sure. Steve?
Steve: Didn't Ron K. Bike used to own this hardware store?
Me: And no-one else made the same mistake? Led astray by the long rows of bikes with prices?
Ed: No.
Steve: Look, mister, I don't know what you're trying to pull. You're in *cambridge*. You want a bike? Where do you go for books? Borders or something?
Ed: Ha ha ha.
Me: :(
Ed: Look, even if we did have bikes, you think you're going to get one for a man, 5'11 tall?
Me: For god's sake, who do you think rides bikes?
Steve: IME women and men under 4'11" or over 6'1".
Ed: Duh. And we have to order those from Seringapatam.
Me: Agh!
Ed: This isn't going to work. Just get on your... wait, this cliche won't work.
Steve: You need a bike like a fish needs... wait.
Me: I have money? You want money? Women? Men? Firefly DVDs? Wholesale?
Ed: No go. You're treating this like some kind of bike shop. What are you, stupid?
When I bought my bike, I got a cheaper one (not second hand, at the low end of new road bikes) on the grounds that as I didn't know what I wanted it would do, and I could buy the right bike at some future point. This may have been a mistake. They didn't *say* it was crap when I bought it, but I've had a few problems.
Before christmas, something (I thought in the gears) was sticking a bit, and I took it for a first service, when they adjusted the brakes and a few other things, and I thought it was ok. But very soon, I thought it was again. It was just a bit, and I couldn't compare it, so I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, and the bike took me places, so I didn't investigate.
Yesterday, I thought it was getting worse, and then there was a big 'clonk' and wheel has physical resistance to going round. I left it at home, because I couldn't face sorting it out last night.
The gears are hub gears. I didn't even know what these were before. I don't know if it's possible for me to have been doing something that damaged them, or if they are amenable to maintanence.
And if I want to ask someone, I'm not sure where I should go. Before Cambridge Cycles assured me there wasn't a problem, which I now rather doubt, so I'm not sure to what extent to trust them on this. If I asked them to examine the gears and they just didn't, and then they failed, it would be reasonable for them to do it for free now. But I don't know how obvious the problem was. I assume a service includes spinning the wheel, but maybe not riding the bike round the parking lot to see if it goes well.
I guess they could replace the gears if I asked, but I'd still be equally ignorant. I don't know enough about it, I couldn't have said if the stickiness was just what that bike was naturally like after a few months and I should have known that, or easily fixable, or not.
I seem to be exceptionally bad with bikes. I don't think cars would be necessarily better. It always seems like:
Steve: Hey, Ed! You'll never believe it, a guy here wants to buy a bike! A bike!
Ed: What? I thought you said a *bike*!?
Steve: Yeah.
Ed: What? What have you (or he) been smoking?
Me: Um... why do you have a big sign saying "Bikes" outside?
Ed: Oh, I'm not sure. Steve?
Steve: Didn't Ron K. Bike used to own this hardware store?
Me: And no-one else made the same mistake? Led astray by the long rows of bikes with prices?
Ed: No.
Steve: Look, mister, I don't know what you're trying to pull. You're in *cambridge*. You want a bike? Where do you go for books? Borders or something?
Ed: Ha ha ha.
Me: :(
Ed: Look, even if we did have bikes, you think you're going to get one for a man, 5'11 tall?
Me: For god's sake, who do you think rides bikes?
Steve: IME women and men under 4'11" or over 6'1".
Ed: Duh. And we have to order those from Seringapatam.
Me: Agh!
Ed: This isn't going to work. Just get on your... wait, this cliche won't work.
Steve: You need a bike like a fish needs... wait.
Me: I have money? You want money? Women? Men? Firefly DVDs? Wholesale?
Ed: No go. You're treating this like some kind of bike shop. What are you, stupid?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 08:29 pm (UTC)do you have a theory about why you get strange attitudes from bike shops? doesn't happen to me (or most people, I imagine).
what's the nearest bike place to you? I'd go there if I wanted to ask someone. Or invite a camgothbipolybikegeek around for dinner and suggest they have a look at it ... :)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-18 10:08 pm (UTC)Urk. I *really* need to drag my brain out of the gutter one of these days. My mind's eye is filled with images of the House of Lords....